RAK fines firm for dumping sewage in creek

Ras Al Khaimah: Civic authorities here on Monday caught the driver of a private company's drainage vehicle while dumping sewage in the RAK Creek.

Mubarak Al Shamsi, the Director General of the Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, said the company has committed an environmental offense by polluting the emirate's water.

He added that owner of the vehicle was given a Dh10,000 fine and made to sign a pledge never to repeat the violation.

Al Shamsi said the incident was reported by a group of Asian labourers who have been hiring the vehicle to lift sewage from their residence.

The Municipality posted an inspector to stay all night in the area to catch the offenders. Al Shamsi said at 3:00 am the vehicle approached the Creek and started offloading the sewage.

The inspector found that the company had dug a small tunnel which leads to the Creek where the company's sewage vehicles get rid of their loads in the tunnel to end up at the RAK Creek.

Al Shamsi stressed that the pollution has adversely affected fisheries in the entire area with fishermen reporting failure to find any catch there.